Diana Budds at Curbed: “Algorithms are invisible, but they already play a large role in shaping New York City’s built environment, schooling, public resources, and criminal justice system. Earlier this year, the City Council and Mayor Bill de Blasio formed the Automated Decision Systems Task Force, the first of its kind in the country, to analyze how NYC deploys automated systems to ensure fairness, equity, and accountability are upheld.
This week, 20 experts in the field of civil rights and artificial intelligence co-signed a letter to the task force to help influence its official report, which is scheduled to be published in December 2019.
The letter’s recommendations include creating a publicly accessible list of all the automated decision systems in use; consulting with experts before adopting an automated decision system; creating a permanent government body to oversee the procurement and regulation of automated decision systems; and upholding civil liberties in all matters related to automation. This could lay the groundwork for future legislation around automation in the city….Read the full letter here.”